Tangled Continued
by susan friedman
Summary: the continuing adventures of eugene and rapunzel.  what happens when a greedy stranger arrives bent on revenge..will there be a happy ending? COMPLETE! changed epilogue for content and to add wedding scene.  Thanks to those who have reviewed.
1. Chapter 1

Tangled Continued

Prologue

The woods were dark, much darker than usual, there was no moon out tonight. The only light is from the Stabbington's campfire. The night is split with laughter and celebration that can be heard throughout the entire forest.

"Look at all this, brother," said the twin with the eyepatch. "This is the best haul we've had in months."

"Yeah," answered the brother with the sideburns. He held up the money and spread the bills as if they were cards.

"And our release from jail. What a shock. I didn't think that, ever, not in my…"

Suddenly, the two quieted at the noise coming from the bushes.

"Hello?" both brothers called at the same time. "Anyone here?"

"As a matter of fact, there is."

A figure emerged from the bushes with something perched on his right shoulder.

"Nice night," the stranger asked, getting a bit closer. "How ya two doin?"

The Stabbington's looked at each other, then at the stranger. "Do we know you?"

The stranger inched forward, a dark mask around his eyes. "Not yet, but we do have a mutual friend or should I say enemy."

When there was no answer, the stranger continued. "I need a little favor from you guys," he said.

"Come a bit closer toward the light," Eyepatch answered, his eyes narrowing. We don't do favors for people we don't know."

The stranger shook his head and stayed his ground. "Let's just say you've come highly recommended."

Sideburns made a move toward the stranger, but Eyepatch held him back. "What's in it for us?"

Sideburns stared at this brother as if he were crazy. "I thought that we were going to…" but Eyepatch glared back at his brother before turning back to the stranger. "Well, what's the payoff?"

The stranger crept forward a bit, but the brothers couldn't recognize him.

"All in due time, gentlemen," he said. "But I can tell you it's big. I'll come back tomorrow night to discuss details, but just keep a low profile. This is bigger than all of us and you'll get a piece of it."

And then the stranger with the familiar voice slipped back into the shadows.

"Who is that guy?" Sideburns asked. "And why would he ask for our help?"

Eyepatch shook his head. "Don't know, but I do know who he was talking about, don't you?"

"Rider, Flynn Rider." Sideburns answered with a smile. A frown furrowed his eyebrows. "Yeah but we…"

Eyepatch put a hand over his brother's mouth. "Let's see what he has to offer, and then we'll make up our minds. Right now let's enjoy what we have, before it's destroyed. No one has to know anything yet."

And the two laughed as they sat down by their fire.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

The King stood inside the small portico, which was usually reserved for the lantern festival every year. He could see the entire kingdom below him and it usually lifted his spirits, but nothing could lift them today, at least that was what he thought. Corona was in trouble again, the thief that had plagued the kingdom was back again and searching for the hidden gold, the same ones that he had tried to keep secret. And it was hidden, for eighteen years no one had known about it, until Rapunzel and Eugene appeared. Not that he was blaming them, they already pardoned Eugene and confirmed that Rapunzel was the "lost princess." But there was something, something that was left undone, something that was…

"There you are," a female voice called softly. The King turned and smiled sadly.

"I've been looking for you all over the place." Seeing the look on his face, she stopped smiling and reached out to caress his cheek. "Something wrong, my lord?"

"I'm not certain, my lady," he whispered, reaching out to touch her hair. "The guards have been seeing someone or something near our hidden treasure."

The Queen shook her head. "We've been all over this, my lord. I don't think it has anything to do with our daughter or with her intended. Eugene has been nothing but helpful since he arrived with Rapunzel two years ago. I think you're feeling nervous now that the wedding is approaching."

The King brightened a bit. "I agree, my dear. Eugene has made a quick turn around and I know our daughter believes in him and I have made every effort to accommodate that. I've made him Captain of the Royal Guards and he hasn't failed me yet. Even with that bunch of ruffians he hangs out with."

The Queen nodded. "They've done an excellent job with security, my lord. They have been protecting our treasure without calling attention to it."

The King shook his head. "I'm not sure, my dear. Eugene has had to move the treasure to new locations at least three or four times now. His thieves have been the ones who have done the moving. Granted, they don't know what they're moving around, but I'm sure they have an idea. And now with this merchant coming…"

The Queen narrowed her eyes. "You mean Sir Nicholas? The one who's been after Rapunzel since she returned? My lord, how could you?"

"He's been invited to the wedding," the King said, turning away from her. "Someone here has invited him." He turned back towards the Queen. "The guards tell me that ever since he arrived two nights ago, they have seen someone leaving his room. One of the guards followed him and saw him meeting with those Stabbington brothers out by their camp. He reported back to Eugene with the information."

"Where is Eugene now?" the Queen asked.

"Off riding with Rapunzel. They've taken Max and our new mare Esmeralda. I've asked one of the guards to go after them. I want to meet with Eugene to discuss strategy, find out what he knows and to move our gold to a new secret location. I'm sure they can manage that."

The Queen nodded. "I'm sure everything will be alright. I'm sure this is nothing at all, but if it is, I'm sure Eugene can take care of this."

The King smiled and touched her cheek. "I'm sure you're right, my love. You always are." He looked into her eyes. "Remind me again, my lady, how you knew that Rapunzel was our long lost daughter."

The Queen smiled. "Beside the obvious fact that she looks just like me? She has a mole behind her left ear, sire, the same one as yours. And don't forget those freckles on her nose either. "

The King nodded. "Yes a family trait, the mole on my side, the freckles on yours. I've always wondered how you knew so quickly."

The Queen nodded. "Eugene was very brave in bringing her back to us. He faced his demons and brought Rapunzel back knowing what would happen when he did. He deserved your pardon after all he's been through."

"We soon shall see, my lady. We shall see."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Eugene was bored. He was sprawled out on the grass next to a small pond. They rode here often lately, Eugene teaching Rapunzel how to ride. She had never learned how to do anything stuck up in that tower except to cook and clean. Basically she had a been a maid to Mother Gothel beside keeping the old woman young for 18 years. No one knew that she had been around centuries before that; long before the Royal Family had taken possession of her "flower."

He missed his meetings with the King, they were the only excitement he had. The assignments were few and far between lately. Besides, the wedding was fast approaching; it was only a week away. He should have been excited about that, right? But no, that wasn't enough apparently. He needed something, he wasn't sure what; he just couldn't put a finger on it. It was like he missed something, the excitement he felt when he was running from the law and escaping them. How long had that been exactly? Two years? But at the castle, he was not in need of anything really. He had what he wanted. He had his fantastic castle view and he had a real family now, the finest in the world. They had accepted him and trusted him. The King had researched his humble beginnings and even explained his family background to him.

He had been the son of a Captain of the Guard and one of the Queen's Ladies in Waiting. The wife died while giving birth to him a few days after her husband died of pneumonia. Eugene was taken from them and was deposited at the orphanage where he grew up. Everyone there thought he was cute and intelligent and expected that he would be adopted immediately. When no one came, Eugene struck out on his own at 12 and had begun thieving to support himself. He hooked up with the Stabbington twins when he was 18 and the rest, as they say, was history.

The Royals had also pardoned him for all his crimes. And they were many. Nothing major, though. The crown was the biggest heist he'd pulled off, nothing could top that.

Except maybe what the King had him move around what he called his "treasure", his gold, his secret stash. The funny thing about this gold was that it wasn't heavy and it didn't move around like coins did, unless these were those new bills that the kingdom was experimenting with. But he really didn't think that the King and Queen hoarded away tons of gold and silver. No, there was something else he was moving from place to place and he was determined to find out.

"Eugene," Rapunzel called. "Where are you?"

"Over here, beautiful," he said, turning to face her. He sat up. Rapunzel turned toward the voice and smiled.

"Do you see Essie and Max?" she said running over to him. "Look at them."

Eugene straightened up to see. They were nuzzling each other. "I think they're falling in love, Princess, just like the two of us did."

Rapunzel smiled. "Did you fall in love with me first or did I fall in love with you. I think you only wanted this crown on top of my head."

Eugene smiled and brushed her cheek. "I think I fell in love in with you in that boat, the night of the lantern festival. I think I knew then that you were my future. And that was before I knew that you were the lost princess."

Rapunzel shook her head. "The princess and the thief, that's what the kingdom called us. Apparently, my parents knew who the Fitzherberts were even before you did."

"That surprised me," Eugene said. "I hadn't the slightest idea who I was. It was you who believed in me and you made me believe in myself. You saved my life, Rapunzel, and I'm forever grateful to you for that."

"Your Highness?"

They broke apart and Eugene cringed. Those two words again. He hated the sound of them.

"Yes guardsman," he said, looking into his eyes. "Something I can help you with?"

"The King requests a meeting right now, I am to escort you and Rapunzel back to the castle."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Rowena Martin was a whiz when it came to gardening. She had a green thumb, could raise a plant or a flower and keep it growing forever. She had originally been part of the King's experiment – to duplicate the golden flower and keep it growing forever. They had succeeded in doing so, but the flower could only be used to heal the sick, not keep everyone young and healthy, not without the healing incantation and only Rapunzel knew that.

And, of course, Mother Gothel.

She also knew her gardening, knew how to duplicate plants and flowers and where to cut at the exact point. But this flower had her stumped. The more she tried to cultivate, the more time she lost. In the end, Gothel gave up trying to decide where to cut and concentrated on keeping herself young. She went to her spell book and tried one incantation after another until she found the proper one.

And for 400 years, it had worked. Mother Gothel had the flower all to herself until the Queen became ill. That's when she lost her flower forever. She didn't want to steal the little princess from the castle, but she had no choice. She needed to stay young and alive, she was not ready to die. And so she did what she had to do.

And so did Rowena. It cost her her job at the castle, but trying to keep her father alive after a strange illness was most prominent in her mind. She, unlike Gothel, was able to cultivate the flower she stole and was able to obtain several cuttings of them. Since she did not have a greenhouse, she was only able to keep her flowers for a short time before they lost their power altogether. The flower could only be brewed and used once. It couldn't be stored or saved again because its healing powers disappeared. So a new flower had to be used each time for new patients.

Rowena was running out of flowers. Her father's illness had just lingered on. Oh, it had worked for a while, but new symptoms arose quickly. Like Gothel, she was running out of time.

She had hoped a trip to the kingdom would result in finding the greenhouse that they worked in originally almost 20 years ago now. Rowena also needed to find Rapunzel as well. She needed to know the incantation.

Her best friend, Nichol, could help with that, he and his pet falcon, Merlin who had tracked down the greenhouse almost 2 years ago.

Nichol was a thief and a con man, in fact, they both had met Flynn Rider right after he left the orphanage. Nichol and Rowena set up the con and Flynn just came in and did what he had to. But Rowena broke up the threesome when her father became ill and her mother had died. And then Flynn, well, she never wanted to talk about what he did, but she did know that she and Nichol wanted revenge

They hadn't seen each other for years, not until Nichol found out that Rider had surfaced and was about to marry Rapunzel. He found Rowena at her home and the two plotted not only revenge on Rider, but also for the King for his betrayal against her and Nichol.

And so it was when Nicholas entered the room, Merlin perched on his shoulder.

"Well?" she asked. "Were you able to discover the greenhouse? I know the flowers are hidden away in the underbrush and sometimes they are unable to be spotted quickly."

Nicholas shook his head. "No, Ro, the original spot has been moved. From what I hear, they've been placed in several chests and the King has been moving them from place to place. No one knows if the flowers are in there, though. No one has been told, not even Rider knows. Merlin, here, can't track it down either."

Rowena nodded. "The flower has been legend, no one really knows if they have survived these 20 years. No one knows for sure what are in those chests, except for the King and Queen." She lowered her head and shook it from side to side.

"Have you met with the Stabbington's?" she asked, raising her eyes to meet his.

Nichol nodded. "It's to no avail though. They are helping Rider along with some other thieves that Rider knows. They are getting well paid and do not know the contents either."

"What about Rapunzel? She is still not under lock and key?"

"No," Nichol answered, "but she is watched like a hawk by her parents and Rider, who is her constant companion these days. They are getting married next week, remember? We are invited?"

She nodded. "I don't know if I can make it, Nichol. My father's illness is worse and I'm running out of time and flowers. I'm on my last one. I cannot duplicate them any further. Each time I do the flower loses more of it's power." She shook her head. "I don't know how the King does it."

"He has his daughter back; I hear she still has healing powers even though her hair was cut. She saved Rider's life. That's a secret as well."

Nicholas cut the subject short. He placed his hands on Rowena's shoulders. "How is your father doing?"

Rowena shook her head. "As best he can, Nichol. No matter how much tea I give him, he does not heal. Rather he develops new symptoms."

"Don't give up, Rowena, we will find a way. Merlin and I will locate those flowers and bring them home one way or another."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Another day of moving those chests around, Eugene thought as he sat on a boulder listening to the quiet. Soon it would be night and that would all change. But for now, he needed to sit.

There was just one chest that they hadn't moved. It was sitting next to him unopened. He sat and stared at it. To open or not to open; that was the question.

And what would Flynn Rider do?

"That's simple," he thought, playing with the lock. Flynn would open up the chest, grab the contents and run. Right? And he would knock them all out with that frying pan of Punzel's just to get them out of the way.

Eugene chuckled at the thought.

Yeah, but he wasn't Flynn anymore; he was Eugene Fitzherbert, not only was he Eugene Fitzherbert of the straight and narrow, he was soon to be Prince Eugene or rather Prince Consort Eugene or rather…

"Your Highness?"

Eugene buried his head in his arms, shook it once and looked up, right into the eyes of Sir Manfred, his assistant.

"What's up, Manny?" Eugene answered with a smile. "I suppose the His Majesty is asking for me? Tell him I'll be there in a sec, okay?"

Manfred smiled. "Last time you said that, Your Highness, you were.."

Eugene rolled his eyes upward. "I remember. Just tell him I'll be there as quick as I can."

"Well, actually, he doesn't want you to there THAT quickly, Eugene. The rehearsal dinner is tomorrow night and wants to go over the plans with you and Rapunzel. Father Timothy will be there with Bishop Lawrence. They'll be arriving close to an hour. Don't keep the King waiting, Eugene, not this time."

"I'll be there Manny," Eugene nodded.

"You'd better be," Manfred said, walking away from him. "Oh and don't forget to hide that last chest."

Eugene watched Manny disappear into the forest. He gave the chest a last look and stood up. He sighed. "Maybe I should get back. Even if I break open that chest, I haven't the slightest idea what that flower even looks like."

He started to drag it into the woods, into the underground safe where they put the other three. He closed the heavy iron door, locked and sealed it; then draped the curtain of leaves over it. He was just about to leave when he heard the sound coming from the woods.

Chitter, chitter.

Eugene looked around. "Pascal?" he called out.

Chitter, chitter, chitter

He heard the sound before he saw it, a little red thing went scurrying past him.

He followed it to down the path to one of the greenhouses, where Eugene saw it stop. Next thing he knew, it was on his shoulder.

He stared at it. It wasn't red anymore to match its surroundings; it was now gray with hardly any scales.

This little chameleon was a female.

Eugene smiled. "You're a pretty little thing, aren't you?" he said to her, making the little chameleon smile. Then she turned a pointed her tail at the window. Eugene looked in.

There they were so many plants, flowers and trees. He caught a glimpse of gold mixed in with a few flowers, but he couldn't be sure. It was the most amazing sight he'd ever seen. He must remember to take his little Princess here for a nice stroll in the gardens.

"Well, Blaize," he whispered, not realizing he just named HIS new pet chameleon, "let's get home. You can meet another new friend by the name of Pascal. The two of you should get along great."

He smiled at the thought of Rapunzel's face when he introduced this new addition to the family.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

One thing that Eugene hadn't noticed were two small beady eyes watching his every move. As soon as he disappeared, Merlin popped out of his hiding place. Ruffling his feathers, he walked over to the greenhouse to the exact same spot that Eugene had found Blaize. The falcon peered into the window and let out a little squawk. He turned away from the window and looked around, making a note of where he was. Satisfied, he spread his wings and took to the air, headed for Rowena's little house in the woods.

XXXX

Eugene and Blaize arrived at the King's study early for once. The door was closed and he knocked on it, expecting the King's booming voice to call out "Come."

Instead, when the door opened, little Pascal was standing there.

"Now how did some so small open a door so large?" he said, bending down to his level.

But Pascal wasn't looking at him, he noticed Blaize on his shoulder.

Eugene caught the glance and smiled. "Well, Pascal?" he smiled, "it's time you met your match." He took the little chameleon from his shoulder and placed her on floor.

They stared at one another until Blaize smiled at Pascal. Pascal smiled back.

That was it.

They took off a breakneck speed, Blaize leading the way.

"Pascal?" "Eugene?" Rapunzel called out, "where are.."

She walked over to the open door and found Eugene's back facing her.

"Eugene?" she asked a bit louder, "Where's Pascal? He wanted to answer the door."

"Well, he did," Eugene answered turning around. He had a wide smile on his face, which immediately made Rapunzel suspicious.

"What's going on, Eugene?"

She didn't have to wonder for long. Blaize shot by again, this time going the other way, with Pascal at her tail.

"Eugene?" Rapunzel

He looked up, still smiling. "I guess I should have introduced you to Blaize before I let her go. Maybe we should try and capture them before your father…"

"Hello Eugene," the King smiled. "Glad to see you here so early, son."

"Uh oh," Rapunzel said, "Pascal, come here."

The two kept skittering around the floor. Father Timothy almost stepped on Blaize.

"Both of you, stop," Rapunzel called out, "or I'll get really really angry and you know what happens when I get angry."

Blaize stopped right where she was; Pascal bumped into her.

Eugene stared first at the chameleons; then at Rapunzel.

"Why don't we all take a seat and get this thing started?" The Queen said, coming in and closing the door behind her, but not before Pascal and Blaize were safely outside the chamber.

XXXX

Merlin lighted on Nichol's arm. He raised his right wing and pointed outward, beckoning her to follow where it led.

"Come on, Merlin, let's find Ro and see.."

"Right behind you, Nichol. You know, I really shouldn't leave my…"

"This isn't the first time, Rowena. Besides with the royals all in that meeting up there," he tipped his head toward the light on the third floor, "we can find what we need and quickly get out. No one will be the wiser. " Nichol smiled. "Now Merlin, take us there."

The two, traveling by torchlight, followed Merlin down the path toward uncertainty. They had no idea where it was or how far they were walking until the falcon landed in front of the old greenhouse.

"Well," Nichol said, "this must be the place." Merlin perched again on his arm as Rowena went toward the window to look.

"It's pretty dark in there," she said, trying to find a clue.

And then she noticed it.

"Nichol, come quick. You gotta see this."

Nichol and Merlin went over to the window. "What am I supposed to see?"

"That," Rowena said, pointing to the gold light shining through the plants. "I think we finally found it."

XXXX

"Rowena? Nichol?" the old man called out. "You two here?"

When no answer came, Angus Martin sat up in bed. He moved his legs to the side and stood up. He peeked out of the curtains that closed his room off from the rest of the tiny house.

With a smile on his face, he lit the lamps in his room and opened up his wardrobe. On the bottom lay a large leather satchel. He had to check if everything was in there. Satisfied, he fastened the bag and waited until the two of them got back. They were taking much too long. He had to take matters into his own hands.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

Eugene couldn't sleep. He was upset, no, it was more than that. He was angry; both angry and upset. He felt like a fool. First of all, Manny got it wrong. The rehearsal dinner was last night, not tonight. Second, after the dinner was over, the King wanted a private conversation with him. He winced as he replayed the entire conversation in his mind.

"_Sit down, my boy," I've been meaning to have this conversation with you for so long, but I've been busy. Seeing as I have some time and we're all here, I decided to do it now. Sit down, son, don't stand there."_

He did take a seat, right opposite the King who already was sitting at his desk.

"_I want to be honest with you, son. We knew who you were when you brought Rapunzel back to us. That's why I made you Captain of the Guards right off. Who knows better about thieves than a thief himself? You know the old saying, right? Takes one to know one, right?"_

The King chuckled and so did he. "Right," he answered, agreeing with the King.

Then the King became serious."

"_Eugene, my daughter and my wife adore you. They are grateful many times over that you have returned Rapunzel to us. I was the one who had my doubts. So I tried something, a test if you will. And to tell you the truth, there are thieves out there who can't wait to get their hands on my treasure, which, I'm sure you have guessed by now what it is."_

"I suppose it's the magic flower," he had answered, "the one in the incantation that Rapunzel sings."

"_Well, you're half right, Eugene Fitzherbert. There used to be flowers in those chests, but they all died out. We tried an experiment here, Eugene. We took cuttings from the flower before we made a tea of it. We tried to grow them and share their healing power with anyone in the kingdom who needs it, but it was not be. With each cutting, the flower grew weaker until there were nothing left. Then there were the teas and elixirs. They would only last when made, if it were stored, it too would lose its powers. _

_We discovered though that when the flowers bloom, its seeds would appear on the outside. So before we made the tea we took the seeds and stored them in a glass bottle. The bottles are contained in an iron safe right behind me. Whenever someone needs healing, we take out the seed and a new flower grows, sometimes taking anywhere from two to five days. I know that's kind of quick for a flower, but this is a special flower. _

_Anyway, to make a long story short, we needed to see how loyal you would be and you prove to be a very loyal subject and you haven't let us down. I just wanted to let you know that, son. That you are loyal and trustworthy and that you can marry my daughter. "_

Now, after two years, he's telling me this, Eugene thought, shaking his head. Maybe he did have the right to approve his engagement with his Princess, but it didn't have to take two years, did it? He was happy here, finally, well he thought, finally accepted by everyone in the family. Except the King.

And he had been paid well besides. Maybe he shouldn't be angry or upset, there was no reason to be. The King didn't have to pardon him or make him Captain of the Guard.

He sighed and leaned against the stable door. He liked to hang out here when he was upset, he always had a good time talking to Thomas, the stable boy, who slept in the barn. He was always interested to hear how Max had been doing. Right now, he found that Max was upset that Essie wasn't interested in him anymore. It seemed that the King's new black stallion, Edison, had been brought in. He could run faster, jump higher and just plain do anything a bit better than Max could.

Eugene would go and see him later that morning. He had always felt close to that horse and since he needed some cheering up, maybe the horse did too.

He was just about to leave when he heard a female voice call his name.

"Rider," the voice sang out, "Remember me?"

Eugene turned at the name he hadn't used in almost two years. Who in the world could it be and how did she know he was here?

As she drew closer, he squinted against her torch. He was of two minds, should he run or stay? Was this a good thing or a bad thing?

"Well, aren't you going to say hello?"

Eugene couldn't believe who he was staring at. She was older now, not the youngster she had been in their thieving days.

"Rowena?" he asked, still not comprehending the face in front of him.

XXXXX

Rapunzel was confused. She had tried to talk to Eugene, but he wasn't in his room, so she went to look for him. She knew that he liked to hang around the stables so she went down to see if he was there. She always charmed her way past the guards; no one usually followed her around.

She walked into the stable and heard voices, one of them sounded like Eugene's, but she couldn't imagine who she was talking to.

Rapunzel crept closer expecting to hear voices, but she could hear nothing. It was all so quiet all of a sudden. All she heard was the sound of her own footsteps. She had taken to wearing slippers; the castle floors were so cold.

Suddenly, she was upon the spot, but she couldn't believe what she was seeing. There was Eugene and someone she didn't know, kissing each other.

Trying not to attract attention, she ran from the scene, her tears welling up in her eyes until she couldn't see. One of those tears landed on her arm, but she hadn't noticed as it penetrated her skin.

"Rapunzel?"

She turned at the male voice hoping that it was Eugene, but she couldn't see anything with a bag over her head. She brushed it off and pushed the stranger to the ground and began to run back to the castle.

She could hear footsteps behind her and she ran faster. All she could think of was the kitchen and her secret weapon. There had to be one; every kitchen had one, didn't it?

She managed to get there first and opened the door leading to the kitchen. She looked around for a frying pan, but there was none. She spied a pewter plate on the table and waited until the stranger came in after her. When he did, she threw the plate in his direction. It landed in the middle of his stomach knocking him into the stove. A double boiler came down on his head. She found a spoon and was walked over to him and banged the spoon on his head. When he couldn't take anymore, he ran from the room, the pot still on his head.

Satisfied, Rapunzel ran from the kitchen and retreated to her chamber. There had to be an explanation for all this, she thought as she crawled into her bed. She would find out in the morning.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

"Something I can help you with?" Eugene asked Rowena, pushing her away.

Rowena smiled. "Is this how you greet an old friend?"

Eugene shook his head. "Ro, we haven't seen each other in years. What are you doing here? And if you're here, Nichol and his little rat have to be here too."

Rowena frowned. "You know Merlin is a peregrine falcon. You do remember he's a bird of prey."

"Ahh, prey shmay," Eugene answered. "I'm engaged, Ro. I'm sure you know that too. Besides you didn't answer my question."

"Well, if you must know, we've been invited to your wedding, so that answers question number 1. And before I answer question 2, what happened to the two of us? You betrayed me. I was there first before this Proppunzel, Arunzel…"

"Rapunzel," Eugene said, getting a little angry. "And I betrayed you how? Why do you go on with this fantasy of yours? There was never the two of us, Ro. Maybe in your mind there was. You always had that little love thing going on, haven't you? How old were we? I think you were 14 and I just turned 16."

"What made you walk out then?"

"That's easy," Eugene said. "The three of you had your own agenda. You'd take your cuts and give me exactly what was left. I was the one who was doing all your dirty work. To be truthful, I got fed up, with tired of the whole thing. I wanted more money and I wanted fame and fortune. Sticking around with you wasn't getting me anywhere. There was better money to be made elsewhere. It didn't take me too much longer to hook up with the Stabbington boys, but the twins never went anywhere. We cleaned up plenty, but we did split everything right down the middle. Too bad we spent it on everything else. So this time I split, taking the loot with me. The guards chased me and before I knew it, there I was looking at this tower. How was I to know that inside was the woman who would change my life. "

"You always wanted money and a better position in life, Flynn. I guess that's how you got to where you're at now. Marrying a Princess and living in a castle."

Eugene was angry. That's why he had run out on them in the first place. Yes, he had only told her part of the truth. The first part of it was that it was a better place to be then in the orphanage. It wasn't all that bad, it wasn't like the some of the famous stories you read about workhouses, whippings and beatings. He never experienced that. They taught him and the children to read, write and do sums. He soon found work inside the orphanage, helping out with the chores. At night, he'd read to the younger kids about his hero Flynn Rider, and decided to try that kind of life out for himself.

He had hooked up with Nichol first who had introduced him to Rowena. It was fun at first, being part of a team. They had been hired out by an older man, who called himself Rowena's father. Angus had been generous, splitting the loot four ways. But with each con, the pickings got more dangerous and it wasn't fun anymore. He was the one doing all the dirty work and he wasn't making all that much, not as much as he wanted anyway. That and the fact Rowena became infatuated with him, ran after him, calling him her boyfriend, asking if he would marry her. It didn't go any farther than a kiss though, Flynn made sure of that. He wanted no attachments, no relationships, nothing to tie him down. So at age 16, he split again, this time to join the Stabbington Twins.

What he didn't know was that Angus, Rowena and Nichol considered his leaving a betrayal against the family. Flynn had been accepted as a family member and could use their secrets. That was more important to them then any piece of gold or silver.

Not to mention that Rowena had held a torch for him all those years. She hoped that the love she held for him would blossom if he saw her again after all these years. She was sort of disappointed when they never happened. Besides she had been ordered to distract him while Nichol went after Rapunzel.

"Look, Ro. I don't have to explain my actions to you or anyone else. I haven't seen you in what, seven years?"

Rowena smiled and came closer. "You haven't answered my question?"

"You want an answer? Here's an answer. There was something different about Rapunzel. She wasn't afraid of me and she didn't fall for any of my tricks. She didn't fall in love with me instantly either, like all the other women. All she wanted was to fulfill her dream and she did. She believed in me and made me feel wanted. I felt excited and alive, just being with her was better than any con or any heist that I ever pulled off. For the first time in my life, I fell for someone and I wanted to be there for her."

Rowena stared at him, his whole face lit up when spoke of her. She was getting nowhere, this time the con wasn't going to work.

"So when did you find out she was the lost princess?"

Eugene stared at her. He had to be careful with what he said and how he said it.

"She told me later that she believed that she was the princess. She said she remembered their faces hovering over her crib when she was an infant. She'd seen the mosaic in the courtyard, Ro, and she remembered. I told her I'd take her there because her happiness meant more to me than my life. I didn't expect to become part of this life, it all just sort of evolved."

He looked away from Rowena for a moment. He had heard some sort of commotion outside."

"But I'm not sorry, because I love her and my life here has been great. I've been accepted into a loving family and I'm getting married next week. And for the first time in my life, I'm looking forward to. Now I'd better start getting back before Zel comes searching for me. Besides I heard something out there and I'd better investigate."

He gave Ro a parting peck on the cheek. "Oh and by the way, the name is Captain Eugene Fitzherbert. Flynn Rider is dead and he's going to stay that way."

Rowena watched him walk away. He wasn't the same. This was going to be harder to pull off.

XXXX

Angus Martin found his way to the castle. It would be easy for him to get in, he was related to the King after all, although he had kept that secret. That's how they got the invite to the wedding. But he had been surprised that his brother had remembered him after all these years. It wasn't like he had been accepted into the family.

He had been adopted by the King's father when he was a baby. The Queen couldn't have anymore children and they wanted their son to have a playmate. So they went down to the orphanage, found little red headed Angus and raised him as their own. But he was a disappointment to them. He had made love to one of the courtiers and had gotten her pregnant. He had disgraced the Royal family and was thrown out. The two married, but Colleen died in childbirth leaving him with Rowena to raise. He found odd jobs but never held them for too long. So he began to steal. At first it was small and when he had gotten away with it, the cons became bigger and better.

Rowena found Nichol and Flynn in the streets and they became a foursome, a family if you will and they did well. He had high hopes for Flynn Rider, and expected him to join the family. He held those hopes until Rowena came home crying one day that Flynn had left them in the lurch. He was too old to start stealing again and that's when he came up with the flower idea.

He had heard about a job opening and asked the King for a favor, to give his daughter the job. And he granted that request, when the King saw that she had a green thumb. But Rowena began stealing things until she managed to slip past the guards with a flower. The Captain had seen her, reported it to the King and she was immediately let go, but Angus had gotten what he wanted.

Getting past the guards at the gate had been simple. They had let it down when they recognized him. He had been there before, numerous times. He had told his brother that he had changed, but he hadn't. All he wanted was the flowers and his brother had never divulged that important information. Well, now that he knew where they were, he was going to get it for himself. The only way to do anything was to do it yourself. 

He slipped past two more sleeping guards and let himself into the castle. He climbed the stairs to the King's bed chamber. The King and Queen weren't there though. The Queen was across the hall with Rapunzel who had a bad night. The King however, was standing inside the little portico looking out over the sleeping kingdom of Corona.

"Hello brother," Angus said to the figure standing at the portico.

The King turned to find his brother standing there with a knife in his hand. "Long time, no see. What do you need now? The experiment didn't work you know. There's nothing I can give you. I guess that Rowena ran out of cuttings herself?"

Angus shook his head. "There is something I require, my brother, but it's not the flower. I don't need healing, I need to stay young. I need your daughter. She's the only one who knows the incantation."

The King's eyes widened. "We just got her back ourselves, Angus. I will not give up my daughter to you or anyone. Besides, she's got no healing powers, anymore."

Angus shook his head. "That's not what I hear. The whole kingdom is buzzing about how your daughter healed the Captain of the Guard with her tears. She knows magic and I want her for myself. And if you won't give me her, I'll take you. Then we can work out an exchange, but Flynn will have to bring her to me. Do you understand?"

The King looked at the knife in his brother's hands. "Yes, I do. Let's go before we wake up the castle."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

The sounds were muffled, but she could hear them, even though she was standing outside the doorway.

"Nichol?" Rowena said, opening the door of the tiny house. She had Merlin perched on her shoulder. "Are you here?"

"Help me, Ro, I'm in your father's room?"

She rushed in, Merlin at her heels. She found him sitting in her father's favorite chair, tied up to the bedpost.

"Where is he?" she said, looking around the room. "Father?"

"It would be nice if you got me out of these ropes, Ro?" Nichol asked.

Rowena was angry. Her eyes narrowed into slits. "You were supposed to grab her and bring her here. You were supposed to watch out for my father as well." She bent down so that they were eye to eye. "You were supposed to learn the incantation and then we were to kill both Flynn and the lost princess. What have you got to say for yourself?"

Nichol noticed that she wasn't untying the ropes that bound his body and hands to the chair and bedpost. Instead she was lecturing him as usual. Always the same thing when something had gone wrong. Blah, blah, blah.

"And you, were supposed to break into the greenhouse and grab those flowers. We saw them, Ro, we did, and you identified them. You haven't done what you were supposed to either."

Rowena stood up and shook her head. She started working the ropes, making them easier for her to untie.

"There are no flowers, Nichol. Rider told me tonight that the experiment hadn't worked either."

Nichol's eyes lit up as she finally undid them. "You saw him? How does he look? Did he remember you? Does he…"

"No, Nichol, he doesn't. He doesn't want this life anymore; he is happy now and wants to stay that way. The truth is, I want him to be happy, and I've always wanted what was best. He was never interested in me. Not for a second."

The ropes were tight against the chair and took some time before they loosened. Finally set free, he stood up. "Then what was that we were staring at in that greenhouse."

"There's nothing there, Nichol," she walked to the window. "Nothing. I don't even know why we are here."

Suddenly, she turned back to him wild eyed, as if she was waking from a long dream. "Where is he, Nichol? Where did he go and why has he tied you up like this?"

"He was going after Rapunzel himself. He said we were taking too long. I don't know if he'll get her though, she has an agenda of her own. She's tough and I can see why Rider loves her."

"He's been sick," Rowena said, staring at Nichol. "How can he have gone anywhere? I can hardly get him to…" She stopped in mid sentence and stared at him. "What do you know, Falcon?" she said, narrowing her eyes and using his last name for the first time. "I want to know now."

"He's not sick," Nichol said, avoiding her gaze. "He's never really been sick." He looked up at her, finally. "All he wanted was the flowers. He wanted to be rich; to set up his own business. You know, selling healing potions, elixirs, and teas. He thought that his brother would come begging for his help. He thought he could turn it all around and finally go straight."

Rowena stared at him. "Go on," was all she said.

"When Angus found out that the flowers couldn't keep their power forever, he got angry. He said there must be some way to grow them, some way to get their powers to stay forever and he wasn't going to give up trying. He would do whatever it took to find a way to reproduce that flower; even if it meant staying young forever. "

"Your father is a mad man, Ro. He's gone over the top this time. He's a crazy old lunatic, we've all known that from the beginning. But you wouldn't hear it, no matter how many times I tried to bring it up."

Rowena was angry now. "What are you telling me, Falcon? That my father isn't sane? He's a genius, he was always a genius. He has ideas that no one's even thought of. The flowers were his idea and they were good ones. We didn't know that they couldn't hold their power. When Flynn left, it took a lot out of him, he said he had potential. He stayed in his bed after that. I thought he was sick, that's the way he portrayed himself. Now this and you knew about but never even shared this with me. First it was Rider, then my father and now you."

Nichol put his hands on her shoulders and shook her. "Stop it, Ro. Stop it now. Flynn never loved you or me or Angus, he was always out for himself. Just like your father and, I'm afraid, just like me."

Tears began to fall from Rowena's eyes. "How long have you known, Nichol? How long have you two been working against me?"

He raised his arm and Merlin landed on it. "It was probably after Rider left. He wanted revenge, but we could never find him. Flynn was always good at disappearing. But now we have him where we want him. "

"What does that mean?"

"He wants Rider dead, Ro, and he doesn't want Rapunzel either, he just wants the incantation. He's fed up with Rider getting the better end of the deal; he's tired of playing second fiddle to his brother. He wants everything, don't you get it? He wants to live forever. And he talked me into this deal and I agreed to go along with it or else I would have been dead too. Angus tied me up. He called me inept and said that Rider could have done better. He was coming back for us and said that our lives were going to change."

When she didn't answer, he continued. "He's gone crazy, Ro, and somehow, we have to stop him from destroying everything we know, including our lives. He'll stop at nothing to achieve his goal."

Rowena stared at him, tears in her eyes. "Alright," was all she said.

XXXXX

"The King's been kidnapped," Manny said, entering the Queen's chambers. Eugene had arrived not five minutes ago. They were both going to pay a visit to Rapunzel.

"What?" Eugene answered.

Manny nodded. "At knife point by his brother."

"Angus," the Queen said. She looked at Eugene. "We've got to get him back, Eugene."

"Right now, Your Majesty," Eugene said; then he turned his attention to Manny. "Let's go get Max and Edison saddled."

"Okay, Eugene," Manny said, "but there's something that you don't know."

"What's that?"

"Angus Martin wants to exchange the King for Rapunzel and he wants you to deliver her to him."

XXXXX

Rapunzel woke with a start. Something was happening, something within her was changing, and she could feel it. She put her hand up to her head ran her fingers through it. For some reason, it felt a bit longer than it had since Eugene had cut it two years ago. She hopped off the bed and ran to the mirror, forgetting that she had been upset and angry. It was the same face, but it wasn't the same hair. It wasn't as short anymore. It was still brown, but it was turning lighter.

"My hair is growing," she whispered at first, unable to believe what she was seeing. "MY HAIR IS GROWING," she giggled and ran back to the mirror.

"EUGENE! FATHER! MOTHER! You aren't going to believe this," She opened up her chamber door and ran outside into the hall, looking for them.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

"Rowena, tidy the house, we have a guest."

Angus Martin threw open the door to the house. He pushed his brother into the house and threw the rope at Rowena. "Tie him up. We have to wait for Flynn to bring Rapunzel."

Angus smiled. "Everything is going according to plan, Ro. Everything is fitting into…He stopped and stared.

"What is he doing loose? This isn't what we planned at all, Rowena. I gave you instructions."

Nichol looked over at Rowena. "I untied him, Father. I wasn't sure what you wanted of me. "She pulled a knife out of her boot and pointed it at Nichol's stomach. "Get back in that chair Falcon or I'll have to resort to violence."

Nichol shook his head as he obeyed her. "Rowena, what are you doing? This isn't what we.."

"Quiet," Rowena said as she retied him. Just do as I say."

Nichol stared at her with a look of astonishment. "Ro?"

"I said quiet," she answered giving him a stern look. She smacked him over the head with the edge of the knife.

Angus smiled. Now everything was going according to plan. "Tell my daughter what you told me, brother. You know, about the seeds?

The King looked up at his brother than back to Rowena. "Yes, it's true, Rowena. The seeds from the flower bring the healing powers back, but you have to be careful with them. You can only grow one flower at a time."

Rowena looked up at her father who was nodding and smiling. "Yes, it's true." He turned to the King. "Hand it over, brother."

The King reached into his coat and pulled a small vial from it. In it contained four seeds that he was going to plant just tonight. He handed to Angus who, in turn, had handed it to Rowena.

"So I did see flowers in the greenhouse then." Rowena said, taking the vial from her father. She shook it a few times, then smiled.

"Yes, but those aren't the real ones. Those are just decoys, for show if you will. They have no healing powers at all. The real ones are in that vial you now hold in your hand."

"Tie him up, Ro, we've kept him loose long enough. Now we just need to await Rider and Rapunzel."

"You won't get anywhere with the incantation, Angus," the King cautioned as Rowena circled the ropes around the chair. "Rapunzel is the only one with any healing powers and she isn't using them at the moment. She hasn't used the healing incantation in years." The King looked up at Rowena as she knotted the ropes. "I could give you your job back, Ro. We need skilled workers like you. You always knew your job better than anyone we've had. I could double your salary, give you a house inside the kingdom and you, your father and Nichol here will be well cared for."

"I wouldn't worry about Nichol, brother. We've got plans for him and his falcon."

Rowena looked at the King. "Do you mean what you say, Your Majesty? You'll pardon me after what I've done to you and your family?"

The King smiled. "If I pardoned one thief, I can pardon another."

Angus looked from his daughter to his brother. "Do you really believe this man, Rowena? How do you know he's telling the truth?"

XXXXX

Eugene heard her before he saw he saw her. "Rapunzel?" he whispered as she entered his waiting arms. "Look at you. I don't believe it."

He was smiling as he released her. It was true, her hair was growing and it was growing pretty quickly too. It was a bit longer on the sides and the hair was evening out. It was still brown, but streaked with blond here and there.

He was happy for her that he forgot his real purpose, to take her and exchange her for the King.

"Come on, Princess, we're taking you and your mother on a little ride.

Eugene grabbed her hand so tightly that she squealed in pain. "Ouch, Eugene. Not so hard. Where are we going?"

"Please don't ask me," Eugene said as he deposited her on Max. "We've got a job to do. I don't like it, but it's got to be done."

XXXXX

"What's this all about, Eugene?" Rapunzel asked as Max quietly carried them into the woods. The Queen was traveling ahead on Esmeralda, leading them to the Martin's cottage.

"Just do as we planned, beautiful," he said, without turning around "and it'll all work out. What's this thing with your hair?"

"Bad timing?" Rapunzel answered. "I don't know, Eugene. I can't explain it. Maybe I've got healing powers that I didn't know I had."

"I don't know, but I can agree that this growing thing is coming at the worst time."

"I had no control over this, Eugene," she answered. "Last night it was short, this morning it was a bit longer. Now it's past my ears. In a few days, it could be back to its original length and I'm not sure if I want it that long again. Besides, who knows if it's going to have the same healing powers? It really hasn't turned blond yet."

"We'll just have to find out," Eugene answered. "And it might be sooner than we think."

"By the way, Eugene, who was that girl that you were talking to last night? You know, the one I saw you kissing."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

Eugene turned red. "You saw that?" It was a good thing she couldn't see his face.

"Yes, I did, last night. Just another one of you conquests, I suppose?"

Eugene got quiet all of a sudden.

"Uh, Rapunzel, listen, I have something to confess. You see, I'm.."

"The cottage is up ahead," the Queen announced. She had been waiting for the two of them to catch up to her. "I think we'd better get this over with as quickly as possible, don't you think?"

Eugene nodded and without saying another word, pulled on the reins. "Come on, Max. Let's see how quick you can go." And the white horse took off, right behind Essie.

"Slow up a bit," the Queen said, pulling in Esmeralda. "There it is," she said pointing.

Eugene and Rapunzel both stared at the cottage. It wasn't small by any means. It had a cozy thatched roof and was spread out at least 2 acres. There was the house on the right and the greenhouse/lab on the left. An old mill stood crumbling in back of the cottage; Eugene guessed it was abandoned years ago. He heard water rushing, jumped off Max and headed over to the sound.

A small creek ran toward the back of the house, which widened a few miles downriver. The river ran swiftly here and it was not smooth. Stones peeked from the riverbed, causing rapids and small waterfalls here and there. A few miles downstream and it would bring them to Tower Falls, an 80 foot drop. Accidents and small boating mishaps were commonplace. People had tried to project themselves over the falls, mostly in used barrels from this point with little or no success.

Eugene couldn't remember being here, maybe they had moved out here after he left, but somehow remembered the mill and the rushing water. He was about to explore further when he heard the sound of a door opening.

"Stop right where you are, Rider, and give me the girl."

Eugene looked up. It was Angus all right, that voice hadn't changed.

"So, Angus, what's goin on? How's the family? Sorry, I couldn't keep in touch, but I've been pretty busy lately. Being Captain of the Royal Guards sure keeps you on your toes."

"Enough with the small talk, Rider. You always were a smooth talker. Now let's get down to business. You want the King and I want the girl."

Eugene walked toward the cottage. "The girl just happens to be my betrothed as if you haven't heard which I'm sure you have, being the King's brother and all. Oh and yeah, you're invited to the wedding."

"Cut the crap, Rider. I want the girl and I want her now." Angus opened the door wider and saw that a musket was pointed straight at his head. "That was the deal."

"The King first," Eugene said, "and then you get the girl. You didn't say what order."

"We want the girl, Rider." The door opened all the way now to reveal that Rowena was pointing the gun. "NOW!"

"Or else what, Ro," Eugene asked. "You gonna shoot me?"

"You daring me, Rider? Not the first time." She looked over at Rapunzel who had joined Eugene. "That your little girl? I don't know if she'd appreciate you being a little messy."

"We're wasting time here, Rowena," Angus said. "Stick to the plan."

Rowena lowered the musket and looked at her father. "I don't think I can…"

"Give me that gun," Angus said, grabbing it out of Rowena's hand. "Well, like I promised." He pointed it at the sky, right at Merlin who was flying over the greenhouse. "Want some falcon for dinner?"

With that, he opened fire. Merlin came crashing down, right through the roof of the greenhouse.

"NO," Rowena screamed as she turned to her father. "How could you?" She ran over to King and started to untie him. "Go," she said, pushing him out the door. She went after Nichol next.

"What are you doing?" her father asked. He picked up the musket and aimed it at the King, but he had joined already joined the Queen. Then he turned the gun on the Nichol and shot.

That's when the Stabbington twins stepped out.


	11. Chapter 11

At this point, I would like to thank my all my readers, including those who left their reviews. Thank you so much to each of you, it is appreciated. And now back to the story...

Chapter 10

"Right on cue," Eugene smiled. "Get them out of here, guys and keep them safe."

"Will do, Rider," Sideburns said, pointing a finger at him. "You owe us big time."

Eugene smiled. "Got ya covered, bro," he said. He turned to Rapunzel. "Get on, they'll see you and your parents home."

"No, Eugene," the King said, grabbing Rapunzel and helping her onto the horse. "I'm staying." He turned to Sideburns who already held onto the Essie's reins. "See that they are returned safely and I'll double your salaries."

Sideburns turned to Eyepatch and smiled. "Anything you say, Sire," Sideburns answered and led the horse away.

Angus raised his gun and pressed the trigger, but there was nothing. He tried several more times, but it still didn't work. Seems he was out of bullets. Funny, he loaded that gun two hours ago.

"She's getting away," he said, turning to Rowena, "do something."

Angus stopped short as he stared at Nicholas standing at Rowena's side. "Wait a minute, you're supposed to be.."

"That's right, Angus, no bullets." He held up the bullets he had removed earlier. "I guess I forgot to take one of them out. Merlin will be missed."

All the time Eugene and the King were moving closer to the door, swords in their hands. The Stabbington boys were well on their way and forgotten.

Angus didn't know what to do now. His plan, his daughter and his only friend has turned on him.

There was only one thing left to do.

He grabbed the vial of seeds off the table and started for the open door, but found that he was surrounded, not only by Eugene and his brother, but the Pub Thugs as well. They had come out of their hiding places.

"You're all under arrest," Eugene called out, pointing his sword at Angus. "You're surrounded, Martin, give it up."

"No," he said, backing up.

"You're not going anywhere," Nichol said, reaching out for Angus. Angus kicked him in the groin, losing his grip on the vial. It dropped to the floor and opened, spilling some of the seeds. He didn't seem to notice though.

Rowena hurried over to check on Nicholas. She tripped over something in her way and fell, hitting her head on the floor, knocking her unconscious. At this point, Angus grabbed Rowena by the hair and dragged her backwards, into the greenhouse. Oblivious to everyone, Eugene managed to sneak through the opened front door and followed Angus as stealthily and silently as he could. He bent to pick up some of the spilled seeds and put placed them in a small satchel attached to his belt.

As planned, the King went around the back as did some of the Pub Thugs.

While Angus searched for a lantern, Rowena regained consciousness. She recognized her surroundings and knew that those scissors she used for cutting were around here somewhere. She managed to put her hand on the exact spot where they were and grabbed them. She waited for Angus to return, the lantern she used wasn't all that far.

Angus lit the lantern and walked over to where he dropped his daughter. At the point, she stabbed him in the leg, surprising him. He let go and staggered backward, dropping the lit lantern onto Rowena's flowers. Immediately the flowers caught fire and it started to spread.

Seeing the flames, Angus ran out the back door, leaving his daughter and Nicholas inside the house. All that he was concerned about now were the remaining seeds, nothing more. If he had to make it on his own, then that's what he was going to do.

"Going somewhere, Angus?" the King said, drawing his sword.

"You wouldn't hurt an unarmed man, now would you?" Angus said, still backing up. He was steps away from the water when he slipped on a rock and fell into the river, still gripping tightly to the vial. The fast moving stream picked him up and floated an unconscious Angus downstream.

When Eugene appeared at the door to the greenhouse, Rowena looked up at him with a smile. The flames were bigger now and they covered his way back through the house. Vlad, who had walked in after Eugene, picked up Nicholas and brought him outside.

Eugene was having no such luck. Everywhere he turned, another pocket of flame burst through, blocking him from leaving. He picked up Rowena and looked around for an exit. He was so sure there had to be one.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11

"Eugene?"

He heard a disembodied female voice call his name, but he wasn't sure who.

He squinted up at the face in the daylight. Her hair was a little lighter now, almost blond. It had gotten longer, this time down to her shoulders.

Well, it wasn't Rowena. Her long red curls had always been her best feature.

"Rapunzel? Is everyone alright? Where am I and how did I…."

"Shhh," she whispered. "Don't speak, you need rest. Rowena's in the next room, asleep. Mother's watching over her. She's a little concerned she might not make it."

"Is Nicholas here? I know that Vlad brought him outside."

Rapunzel shook her head. "Father says that he disappeared right before the Martin cottage burned down."

"The cottage?" Eugene asked. He scratched his head. "What the heck happened? Last thing I remember, I was surrounded by lots of red and yellow hot stuff and I just couldn't get out. I was thinking that I wouldn't ever see any of this again."

Eugene tried to get up, but fell back down. "Can't you save her? Heal her?"

Before Rapunzel could answer, the King walked in. Well, look who's finally come around," he said and sat down by his bedside.

"Anyone gonna explain to me what happened?"

The King looked up at his daughter and then back to Eugene. "Rapunzel healed her hurts and scratches, Eugene, just as she had with you. She can't heal what's inside her heart."

Rapunzel was a little curious. "Were you two lovers, Eugene? Is that what this is all about? How many women were there in your life?"

"Is anyone gonna tell me what the heck happened?"

"Maybe I should go," the King said, smiling a bit. "I'll be back, though. Eugene, you and I have to talk privately.

"Will you tell me what happened then?"

The King ignored him. He looked at Rapunzel. "Maybe you should leave him alone right now, daughter. He can answer when he feels up to it."

"No, Your Majesty," Eugene said, staring into Rapunzel's large green eyes. "There's something I've been meaning to tell her anyway. I kinda got interrupted the first time."

"Well, it better be quick with the wedding being tomorrow and all." The King laughed and stood up. He turned to his daughter. "When you're done in here, your mother wants to see you. " He walked to the door of the bed chamber, opened it, then, at the last minute, then turned to face them. "By the way, son, you can leave out all the formal stuff." He smiled and closed the door.

"Okay," Rapunzel said, narrowing her eyes. "Let's get this over with and I'll leave you to talk with my father."

"Is that when I'll find out what happened?"

"Eugene?"

"Alright, alright," he cleared his throat and sat up. He was still a bit drained, but he needed to clear this up.

"Listen, Princess, Ro and I…"

The door opened again. "Your Highness? How are you…"

Eugene put his hand to his forehead, bent his head and closed his eyes.

"Not now, Manny, I'm kinda busy at the moment."

"He's doing much better, Guardsman," Rapunzel said, standing up and shooing him out of the chamber. "He'll speak to you later."

"Yeah, but.." Manny kept insisting as Rapunzel closed the door behind him.

She walked back over to the bed. "You were saying?"

"Rapunzel, look. Ro and I…" he stopped, then turned toward the door.

"Don't worry, Eugene. No one's there."

"Well, it's just that…" He looked down at his legs. Why was he having so much trouble telling her the truth.

"Go on," she said, smiling.

"Um," he said, still struggling for words. "I'm not the man you think I am."

"What does that mean?" Rapunzel asked. Her eyebrows narrowed. "Were you or were not.."

"Rowena was like a sister to me, Rapunzel. We grew up together. I never thought of her as anything else but. As a matter of fact, I really didn't have any time for anyone else, beautiful, I just talk big."

What about "the smoulder?"

Eugene smiled sheepishly. "Oh, that. I didn't know that bothered you. You didn't let on then. When your hair was wrapped around my body, I thought if I showed you that face, I thought you would give me back my satchel and let me go. That's all I used the smoulder for, Rapunzel, to get me out of trouble. I'm not like Flynn Rider of the books. I'm not the love 'em and leave 'em type. I'm just plain old Eugene Fitzherbert. I do love you though and you're still my new dream."

Rapunzel smiled. "And you're mine," she answered. "I love you, too, Eugene."

XXXXX

"Well, Eugene," the King said, "You did it. You not only saved my daughter's life and brought her back to us, but you saved mine."

Eugene gave him a curious look. He was still in his bed chamber, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Are you finally going to explain what happened? I'm still at a loss."

"After Angus slipped into the water, I broke the greenhouse windows with my sword. You handed me Rowena. Just as you did, the glass roof of the greenhouse caved in. You pushed me away and it landed right next to you. A frame from one of the windows knocked you out.

"We got Ro out, but she was in and out of consciousness. We brought the two of you here. Rapunzel was there and wanted to heal both of you. Rowena was in worse shape, so she chose her first, then you."

"How is she, Your..I mean Father. And Rapunzel said something about Nichol disappearing after the cottage burned down? I thought that.."

"The fire in the greenhouse spread to the house. The whole thing went in one shot, Eugene. Nicholas regained consciousness after I put him under arrest. He just got up and ran, Eugene. We don't know where he went. All I know is that he's somewhere out there.

"And Rowena?"

There was a knock at the door. It was Manny again. "Your High.."

"What's up, Manny?" Eugene asked.

"It's Rowena," Manny said. She's asking to see you and Rapunzel. I told her that you.."

"We'll be there in a sec, Manny," he answered.

"Eugene, we might not have a "sec." The woman is dying."


	13. Epilogue

Epilogue

"Well, Princess, we finally did it," Eugene said, laughing, holding Rapunzel in his arms.

"Twice," Rapunzel said, smiling back at him. She squeezed him lightly.

"That two day celebration seemed like it went on forever. Boy, when Corona does something, they go all out, don't they."

Rapunzel nodded. "Marred by one thing though."

"Yeah," Eugene agreed, letting her go. He walked to the window. "It's hard to believe she's gone." He turned to face her. "Her last request was to see what she came for; to see us married."

He turned back toward the window remembering the last time he saw Rowena alive.

_**We rushed into the guest bed chamber to find the Queen putting another cold compress to Rowena's head. Rapunzel had just filled another bowl of cold water and fresh towels just delivered by the maid.**_

_**The two of them looked up as we entered the room. All I had eyes for at that moment was Rowena; her long, vibrant red curls a standout to her pale face. Her large brown eyes locked into mine and we stared at each other. She began to smile.**_

"_**Rider," she whispered, extending her arm. I grabbed hold of it. **_

"_**Just in time," the King said, smiling as Brother Timothy walked in.**_

_**I looked up at Rapunzel. "Can we have a few minutes alone? I need to talk to her."**_

_**But Rowena shook her head. "No, Eugene, I want to see you the two of you married. I want you to obey my last wish. I've always wanted you to happy in love and grounded. Then we'll talk."**_

_**I remember that the ceremony was quick and my new father in law rushing all of us from the room. I would have the rest of my life with Rapunzel, but Rowena had been special. And I had to say goodbye in my own way.**_

"_**The King said something about your heart," I asked her sitting by her side. **_

_**Rowena smiled weakly. "It has nothing to do with you, Rider, I got over you a long time ago. My father wanted me to distract you so that Nichol could catch Rapunzel, which never happened in the first place."**_

_**I looked at her. "Then what, Ro?"**_

"_**My father and Nicholas," she answered. "The two of them were planning something behind my back. They were actually planning to run away with the flowers and leave me alone to get caught. I don't know why they wanted me out of their lives, but they did." She coughed, and then smiled, her brown eyes locked into mine. "Beside, Eugene, you've always known that I had a bad heart. Any little shock will do this to me."**_

_**I smiled at her use of my real name. **_

_**I reached out to caress her cheek. "I always thought you hated that name." I bent to kiss her forehead. "You'll be fine, Ro. You've pulled through this before."**_

_**But Rowena shook her head. "No not this time," she answered me, reaching up to stroke my hair. "All I wanted was to see the two of you married and in love. I'm happy you finally found it. Thank you for giving me my last wish, Flynn Rider. May Eugene and Rapunzel live happily ever after."**_

_**She saw the tears in my eyes and smiled. "Hey, Eugene, it's not all that bad. At least I got to spend some time in the castle."**_

_**I laughed through my tears.  
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_**She smiled back and drifted off. At first, I thought she fell asleep, but when I reached to grab hold of her hand, it slipped through my fingers. I put my hand up to her nose and couldn't feel her breath. I bent down and began to cry because I had lost my only link to any family that I ever had. I just lost my sister.**_

Rapunzel walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "You're thinking about her, aren't you?"

Eugene turned to face her. He had tears in his eyes.

Rapunzel took him in her arms. "I know she was your sister. I didn't understand back then, Eugene."

"I know, it was a long time ago."

"Not all that long ago, Eugene," Rapunzel smiled and let him go. She changed the subject. "It was funny how Brother Timothy was there to perform the ceremony. Thanks to my father who dreamed it all up."

Eugene nodded and wiped away the tears. "Has he ever heard from his brother? Did anyone ever find Nicholas?"

Rapunzel shrugged. "You're the Captain of the Guard."

"Oh yeah," Eugene said, smiling, "forgot there for a second. But the Stabbington boys have been on their tail and they reported mysterious sightings by your old tower; right down to a flying peregrine falcon."

"Father said he saw Angus float downstream unconscious. I don't think…"

"We don't know, Blondie," he whispered, pushing her yellow hair out of her face. "Oh, I forgot to ask permission to call you that again."

"You don't need my permission, Captain. My mother explained why my hair finally grew back and turned yellow again. I cried the night I saw you with Rowena. One of the tears penetrated my skin. Basically, I had the power to heal myself all along, I just didn't realize it."

"Without the flowers?"

"Turns out we had them all along. You did a great job of moving them around, Eugene. I wonder why he said the experiment didn't work."

"I'll speak to your father when we get back. He finally made a few of my dreams come true."

Rapunzel smiled. "Besides me?"

Eugene nodded. "Yeah," he said, stepping away from her. He extended his arm in a sweeping motion. "Look at this, I finally have my own island and I'm surrounded by piles of money."

"You know, Eugene, this really isn't your money. It belongs to Corona. You remember you're in the Treasury, don't you?"

Eugene shrugged. "It's an island, isn't it? And I'm surrounded by enormous piles of money? Now how many kingdoms do you know who keeps their treasury on an island."

Rapunzel shook her head and put her arms around his shoulders. "You know, I'm actually surprised he gave you this accounting job? Being a thief and all?"

"I guess he finally trusts me," Eugene said, putting his arms around her waist.

"Oh, Eugene, I think he trusted you all along," Rapunzel said, coming in closer. Their lips touched and Eugene went in for the kill.

"Your Highness?" Manny's voice called from outside. He had opened the door a crack.

"WHAT?" Eugene said, turning away from Rapunzel. "Can't a man have a little privacy?"

Manny smiled. "Not when you have kids." And he opened it wider to reveal three screaming children.

"Father, Mother," Rowen, the oldest at 9, screamed. She headed straight for Rapunzel. "I hurt myself. Gene told me to show it to you." She held out her right leg.

Rapunzel bent down to look at the injury, and then turned to her 7 year old son. "Is that what you told her? You know that Cora can heal you as well as I can."

"Gene wanted you to do it, Mother," 5 year old Cora said, bringing up the rear. "He said I was too young."

Rapunzel looked at the three of them. Rowen looked exactly like her, right down to the blond hair. Gene looked just like his father, but Cora? Cora looked like both of them.

And she was the only one to have the power to heal.

Rapunzel turned to Cora. "Let's see if you remember how."

Cora wrapped her medium length brown hair around Rowen's leg and sang the incantation her mother had taught her.

When she pulled the hair away, the cut disappeared.

"I guess she's not too young," Gene said, shrugging his shoulder.

Eugene bent down and brushed the hair away from his son's head. "Don't ever go against a woman, son," he said, smiling. "Especially when your surrounded by three of them."

"Eugene!" Rapunzel said, laughing as he stood up. He put his arms around her and placed a light kiss on her lips.

"By the way, kids, where's the chameleons? You know, Pascal and Blaize's children?"

The sound of tiny little legs crawled through the doorway. Three of the little green chameleons ran inside.

"The rest are in my room," Gene said, looking up at his father.

"Well, the entire family is here," Eugene said, squeezing everyone together.

"Uh, Your Highness?"

Eugene looked up. "What's up, Manny?"

"The King and Queen want to see you. You're late for dinner."

"Be there in a sec, Manny." Eugene said, kissing his wife. "Come on, guys, we're wanted at the castle."

XXXXX

Present day

A short description of the beautiful kingdom of Corona from the famous and popular travel book, Clyde's Guides and Other Stuff:

"The kingdom of Corona, which is run by King Eugene the 8th, has been voted the most beautiful city in the world. The dining is superb, be sure to stop off at Mother Gothel's Fountain of Youth and the Snuggly Duckling. Two five star restaurants with great drinks and everything to whet your appetite. Try the juicy and succulent duckling, the Snug's best dish.

Hiking here has always been a favorite, but the best one will lead you to Tower Falls, which has an 80 foot drop. The best place to look at these magnificent falls is from down below. There is also an abandoned tower there, although rumor has it that it is haunted. People have seen and heard strange goings on from atop that tower; lights going on and off, men's voices yelling at one another and the sight of a bird flying overhead.


End file.
